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Uxmal

February 5, 2018 — Mexico

Uxmal is one of the most important Mayan sites in Mexico. The city once had a great influence on the region and its neighbouring towns such as Sayil, Kabah, Xlapak, and Labná (Ruta Puuc). Despite that Uxmal means 'Thrice Built', archeologists think it was rebuilt five times.

In this arid region, Mayans showed great engineering skills. They built several cisterns to retain water during the dry season. Established around 600 AD, the site was abandoned by 900 AD without archeologists really knowing the reason. The main theory is that repeated droughts, more severe than normal, have forced the Mayans to quit the area.
The city was only rediscovered in the 19th centuries, and it was first excavated only in 1929. The restored section of the city is only a small part of the whole site.